The Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bedford, Massachusetts operated from 1952 onward, designing and testing missile guidance systems and radar equipment. That work left behind chlorinated solvents, petroleum compounds, and other industrial contaminants in soil and groundwater. The site was added to the National Priorities List on May 31, 1994, marking it as a federal Superfund site requiring formal cleanup.
Fifteen contaminants of concern have been identified across two main areas. The Northwest Groundwater Plume contains chlorinated solvents including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, and several dichloroethane and dichloroethene compounds. The BTEX Plume, named for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, also contains naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and beryllium in soil. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in a small number of on-site monitoring wells. Extensive wetlands and rare plants and wildlife exist along the river and Elm Brook, downstream from the plant.
Cleanup was organized into four areas. Two areas, an old incinerator ash disposal site and a former fuel oil tank, received no-action decisions in 2000 after posing no unacceptable risk. The Northwest Groundwater Plume has been addressed through extraction wells, in-situ enhanced bioremediation, monitored natural attenuation, and land use controls, with a new removal phase running from May 2023 through February 2026. The BTEX Plume remedy includes excavation of contaminated soil, groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls that restrict groundwater use and residential development. The facility's owner and operator, as the lead federal agency, is responsible for the actual remediation work. The EPA serves as the lead regulatory oversight agency.
Physical cleanup construction was completed on April 1, 2015, and the site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse on September 21, 2015. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways currently present. Groundwater migration is also under control. The most recent five-year review was completed on September 26, 2024, confirming that monitoring of the remedies is ongoing. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.
Community members can review site records at the Bedford Public Library at 7 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA 01730. Questions can be directed to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. State-level questions can be directed to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
